The position of Mayor of Honolulu is non-partisan. A non-partisan blanket primary was held on 11 August 2012. Because no candidate received an outright majority of the vote in the primary, the top two finishers,
Ben Cayetano and
Kirk Caldwell, advanced to the November general election
runoff.[1] Incumbent Independent mayor
Peter Carlisle was seeking a first full term in office but finished third in the primary and did not proceed to the runoff election.[2]